March 27, 2024

Governor's Summer Fellowship applications now open

Governor John Carney this month announced a call for applications for the Governor’s Summer Fellowship Program for Delaware high school students.

This is the third year of the Governor’s Summer Fellowship Program. The Governor’s Summer Fellowship Program provides paid camp counselor opportunities for Delaware high school seniors and juniors. Along with real-world experience, fellows will receive paid work opportunities at community-based summer camps in each county and the ability to network with state leaders and elected officials.

“There’s nothing more important than making sure that all Delaware children have the chance to excel,” said Governor Carney. “The Summer Fellows will gain paid work opportunities and valuable life experiences while helping their communities on critical issues, including literacy support. I’m looking forward to meeting with the incoming class and encourage all interested students to apply. Thanks to the Department of Education and the United Way of Delaware for their coordination on this project.”

Summer Fellows will gain real-world experience in education, community, and State Government as well as receive academic credit for their participation in the program.

“This program has proven for the past two years to be a win-win,” said Secretary of Education Mark Holodick. “It offers meaningful work experience for our high school students that I hope also encourages them to pursue a career in education. At the same time, it provides our community partners with the staffing they need to host engaging and enriching summer programs for our younger students.”

Applications for the Governor’s Summer Fellowship Program are being accepted on a rolling basis. Prospective fellows must be committed to working for the duration of the program which runs from June 17, 2024, until August 11, 2024.

Video: Opportunity Funding leads to student success

East Millsboro Elementary School Reading Coach Heather Ruark shares how Opportunity Funding has given her the tools necessary to help her students succeed.

Delaware’s Opportunity Funding program provides weighted funding and classroom-based support for low-income students and English learners in Delaware public schools. In June 2021, Governor John Carney signed legislation to increase this funding as well as make the funding permanent in Delaware. By Fiscal Year 2025, funding for the program will more than double to $60 million a year ($55 million in opportunity funding and $5 million in mental health & reading support).

Mental health and reading supports are targeted for the students who are identified as English learners (ELs) or low income. These funds were provided to all schools that qualified for a reading interventionist under the Student Success Block Grant.

The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) works with district and charter school leaders, community representatives, families and educators to evaluate how schools are using the funding and to measure student progress.

2024 Delaware finalists announced for STEM recognition

Delaware PAEMST finalists (Row 1, left to right) Brittney Campbell and Karen Eller, (Row 2, left to right) Kerry Haley and Carlos Pesquera.

The Delaware Department of Education has named four Delaware teachers as state finalists for the 2024 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the highest recognition that K-12 STEM teachers can receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Finalists’ applications will now move forward to the national level for final selection of the 2024 PAEMST National Awardees. 

The 2024 Delaware state finalists are:

The goal of the PAEMST award program is to exemplify the highest standards of mathematics and science teaching (including technology, engineering and computer science) in addition to honoring individual achievement. Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of STEM education.  The award alternates each year between teachers of kindergarten through 6th grade and those teaching 7th through 12th grades.  Every year each state selects up to three mathematics teachers and three science teachers as state finalists. A national selection committee reviews state finalist applications and selects up to one awardee in each content area for every state. These teachers are recognized for their contributions to teaching and learning and their ability to help students make progress in mathematics and science. As part of the recognition process, the selected national awardees will take part in a weeklong series of networking and professional development activities in Washington, D.C., and receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation.

Find photos of the honorees online here.

Students selected to attend National Youth Science Camp

From left to right: Arya Gupta of Charter School of Wilmington and Kati Li of Newark Charter School.

Two students will represent Delaware at the 61st National Youth Science Camp.

Arya Gupta, a junior at Red Clay Consolidated School District’s Charter School of Wilmington, and Kati Li, a senior at Newark Charter School, will attend the camp from June 29 to July 20 in the mountains of West Virgina.

Gupta is the co-founder of International Genetically Engineered Machine Team, which will be competing at the 2024 Grand Jamboree in Paris.  Gupta is the co-founder of Women’s Empowerment Club and a student leader in the Youth Environmental. She also is a member of the Charter School of Wilmington Swim team and YMCA junior nationals swim team. She has 230 community service hours at many different organizations including the Brandywine Zoo, Multiplying Good, Sojourners’ Place, Spanish National Honor Society, CAB SMArt Summer Camp.

Li, a National Merit Scholarship finalist, has volunteered since 2020 for Delaware Diagnostics Lab. She was a paid summer chemical engineering intern at the University of Delaware.  She has held several leadership positions such as vice president and outreach director of Apollo: Youth in Medicine, state secretary and state treasurer of Delaware Technology Student Association, and Multicultural Club president. She participated in the First Tech Challenge Team 18739-ITNH. She also is a member of Business Professionals of America, Science Olympiad and HOSA. She also is an accomplished violinist.

Delaware celebrates March for the Arts in Education

Delaware celebrated March for the Arts in Education this month at Legislative Hall in Dover. The convening connected elected and appointed officials with arts educators, students, and community members across the state to honor and support visual and performing arts education in Delaware. 

Students and teachers attended from MOT Charter School and Cape Henlopen, Indian River, Smyrna and Brandywine school districts. 

March for the Arts was founded in 2003 when Delaware Senator Connor authored Senate Bill 116, designating the month of March as “March for Arts in Education Month.”

Senator Conner envisioned a month devoted to celebrating arts education throughout the state – recognizing the critical role that the arts play in providing a well-rounded education for Delaware’s youth.

This year's event was planned by the Delaware Arts Alliance and DDOE with the support of the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA).

Delaware Department of Education I education.delaware.gov